What to See & Do in Cincinnati

Family Friendly Cincinnati is thrilled to welcome bloggers from near and far to the Queen City.

The Bloggy Conference, “Own Your Own Dreams”, presented by BloggyMoms is coming to Cincinnati Sept. 27-29. The Bloggy Conference is open to everyone and there are so many knowledgeable and social media savvy speakers that this conference is sure to appeal to many. The conference starts off with keynote speaker, Phil Hollows, the CEO & Founder of FeedBlitz. One of our own local bloggers, Andrea Deckard, from the Savings Lifestyle will also be one of the featured speakers talking about “Turning a Blog into a Business”. There are many other speakers ready to share their expertise with you too. Click here for registration information.

We wanted to share some fun things to do for the attendees while they are here. Even though FFC is known for finding family-friendly things to do, we also wanted to highlight things to do for our fellow bloggers since 1) they may be overjoyed that they are attending the conference sans kids and 2) they might actually get some free time to socialize with other adults. When opportunity knocks, you really do need to answer. So, here’s our top picks for grown ups to see/do while in Cincinnati:

Fountain Square – Fountain Square is the heart of Cincinnati. Take a moment to sit outside at one of the patio tables and enjoy the Tyler Davidson Fountain while also getting one of Cincinnati’s best treats, a Graeter’s ice cream cone (shhhh, we won’t tell your kids). If you’d really like to see all of Cincinnati, then head up to the Carew Tower to enjoy a 365 view of the City (only $2 for adults).

Happy Hour – who doesn’t love a cocktail and a deal? One of the best places for Happy Hour is The Cricket Lounge in the famous Cincinnatian Hotel. You’ll not only get to enjoy Happy Hour every day (even on Friday & Saturday) from 4-7 pm but you’ll be able to say you visited one of the oldest hotels in Cincinnati. Plus since it’s located in the heart of downtown, attendees can easily walk there. If you are craving a burger, this is the place to get one. Palomino also has a great happy hour offered “all day every day” and if you get a table by the window, you’ll get a view of Fountain Square. Or if you want to see some gorgeous art deco then head over to The Bar at Palm Court in the Omni Netherlands Hotel (happy hour is M-F from 4-7pm with half priced appetizers). Downtown Cincinnati has put together a listing of all the happy hours offered too.

Night life – If you are in the mood for some jazz, head to the Blue Wisp Jazz club at 700 Race St. where they have jazz seven nights a week. Downtown Cincinnati is another great resource that showcases all that downtown Cincinnati has to offer. You can even get a free downtown guide to help you in your planning. Cincinnati has plenty of local bars to enjoy and DC has you covered on where to go.

Newport on the Levee – Want to see what life is like on the other side of the river? Head over to Newport on the Levee where you can see live music at Jefferson Hall, enjoy delicious dining, see a movie, get an ice cream, visit a bookstore, challenge your friends to a round of bowling at Star Lanes on the Levee, or catch a comedy show at the Funny Bone. On Sept. 27, there will even be a free concert from 6:30-9:30 in the plaza area by the Newport Aquarium. Plus you can take the Southbank Shuttle Trolley for only $1 and not have to worry about parking. The shuttle will pick you up in downtown Cincinnati and take you to/from Newport on the Levee. Click here for hours of operation.

The Banks – Newly constructed, this area of Cincinnati is located close to the Ohio River. It’s nestled between the Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Red’s (home game at 12:05pm on Sept. 27) and Paul Brown Stadium. There are plenty of dining choices such as Crave, Holy Grail, Toby Keith’s Bar & Grill, Moerlein Lager House. Plus you can enjoy Smale Riverfront Park or take a walk across The Roebling Bridge and visit Covington, KY.

Shopping – If shopping is more your style, then head I-71 North to one of the premier malls and enjoy the Kenwood Towne Center. Anchor stores include Macy’s, Dillard’s and Nordstrom’s. Click here for a directory of stores. There are also some fun dining options including The Cheesecake Factory, Magianno’s Little Italy, & Aroma Sushi. If outdoor shopping is more your style, Rookwood Commons in the Hyde Park area has plenty of shopping to keep you happy.

When not blogging for Family Friendly Cincinnati, you can find Kristin writing on her personal blog, MasonMetu (from me to you).

Wonderful post! I was thinking about making a similar list. Now I’ll just link to yours! ;P I also recommend that people try out Cincinnati Chili (Skyline or Gold Star). Everytime I have friends from other regions of the country visit me here, I have them at least try it. It is very unique compared to what others thing of when they are talking about chili.

Northside has Shake it Records-great place to find awesome and sometimes obscure music and there are cool eateries around. Jungle Jim’s is world famous, now has two locations and I think they are having an event that weekend. The Sculpture Park in Hamilton. So many places to go 🙂

Great suggestions Katherine. I need to visit it Shake it Records one day – never been. Love Jungle Jim’s and just discovered Pyramid Hill Sculpture park – truly a unique and one of a kind place to visit. Thanks so much for your great suggestions.

WELCOME

Greater Cincinnati's top parenting blog, helping
parents discover all the things that make Cincinnati and northern Kentucky a great place to raise a family since 2009.